Show HN: zkGolf, competitive optimization of formally verified circuits.

Zero-knowledge proofs let you prove a computation ran correctly without revealing the inputs. To do that, the computation must be expressed as a circuit—essentially assembly code made of mathematical constraints. These circuits are computationally expensive, so engineers hand-optimize them obsessively. According to a new project called zkGolf, there's a better approach: use language models to generate and optimize circuits automatically, while formally verifying their correctness. In one experiment, the team used Opus four point seven to write and then optimize a SHA-two fifty-six circuit, and it beat the current human-optimized version. The model even detected and corrected its own mistakes when optimizations failed to maintain mathematical soundness. zkGolf is now an open competition to produce faster, formally verified circuits—lowering the barrier for zero-knowledge proof adoption and making the technology more efficient.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton